Reloading 16 gauge
 

I reload 28 gauge all the time and use Winchester AA. I have now started shooting a 16 enough to decide I should go reloading route. What 16 gauge hulls are the best for reloading?

Thank you
Jeff

I have had good results with Remington high and low brass and Winchester. Federal needs a wad specific to it, also the base will on occasion will dish in giving poor strikes. I now stick with Remington.

I prefer to load cheddite hulls now, and load mostly 2 1/2" shells . I do have quite a few hundred black Rem's(RGL's). I like the little 7/8 oz load using 20/28 and DR16 wad in them, but they do split easily and dont get many reloads from them.

I like whatever hulls I can get to be 100% honest . I've got a 600JR for buckshot and slugs . Also have a like new (I bought it new) 650 that does very well . And about a year ago I got a deal on a NIB 9000 for the 16 and it works great as do my other 9000 loaders .

HOWEVER …………………. I have found the Winchester promotional 16 gauge shells don't initially resize well in the collet sizer of the 9000 , they for lack of a better term push thru and ruin the hulls . So before I try and resize them in the 9000 I resize deprime the hulls in the 600JR .

The Federal hulls and Remington promo 16's work just fine in the collet sizer of the 9000 .

A year or so ago I bought three flats of Winchester promo 16's and the same of the Remington promo 16's . I should have plenty hulls to keep me in business for awhile .

As to wads I stock the CB knockoffs of the WAA16 wad in both the 1 ounce and 7/8's ounce versions . I found the WIN hulls worked better with an ounce of shot using the 7/8 ounce wad and the REM/Federal hulls did ok with the regular 1 ounce wad .

FWIW the ONLY difference between the 7/8 and ounce CB 16 wads are a box kinda thing inside the shotcup on the 7/8 wad just to displace some space . My only problem with the 1 ounce wad in the WIN hulls was the kinda caved in crimp , I'm a bit picky about wanting the crimp to be flat across the top and not concave .

There's also a plethora of decent 16 gauge powders as far as target/dove loads are considered . I've used SR7625 , Unique , Universal and am thinking about Red Dot and possibly Green Dot . Seems to me there's also a decent load or two using the relatively new W572 (and I just happen to have 8 pounds).

Not a fan of Cheddite Hulls but, they are about the only 16 G hull that’s readily avalable in quanity. Down Ranges DR 16 wad is made for straight wall hulls like Cheddites and Hodgon has good 3/4 & 7/8 oz loading data for the combination .

William

Craig, I didn't quite understand about the Win shell and the resizing. Did you mean the top of the metal base bends in ? There's a couple of guys who like the 16ga and maybe I could help them. The " concave " crimp - a little helps lock the petals together so they won't relax and maybe go up. Just a thought.

I'm not sure how to explain the WIN hulls to be honest but I'll try !

I was using brand new once fired WIN hulls in the 9000 . Set them in the collet to deprime and resize and the thing I think was not holding them tight enough (but it had no issue with REM or Federal hulls) or maybe the base metal was really soft anyway they would push through and pretty much do away with the rim at the base but I could put a WIN hull in the 600JR resize it fine then put them in the 9000 no problem . I should be loading some 16 in the next couple weeks I'll try another WIN and take a picture of the messed up one .

The concave crimp is easily remedied with the CB WAA16 7/8 ounce wad . Right before Thanksgiving I ordered a case of CB WAA16 1 ounce wads and a case of the CB WAA16 7/8 ounce wads . So I'm flush for either wad for awhile .

What's happening is that the Win. hull does not fall down FAR ENOUGH into the collet of the 9000. The oversize rim keeps it "UP" above the rim recess and the collet subsequently squishes the rim out of the case head. Try opening the collet adjustment nut a tad for more room, or simply push DOWN on the hull until it bottoms in the collet.

I’m not disagreeing with what you’re saying but if that were the case why would it let the same hulls after being sized in a 600JR work okay ? The sizing process doesn’t change the diameter of the rim .

The 600 has a ring sizer. As the metal case head passes though it's reduced in diameter and in the process the unsized rim is drawn inward a few thousandths. This is enough for the rim to pass through the collet of the 9000. Without "pre-sizing" in the 600, the rim is too wide to drop down into the collet rim cut.

I'd have to measure a rim before and after when using a 600 to believe the rim gets reduced. I'm not saying it doesn't happen, but man I have trouble believing it does. I think more along the lines that the shell isn't dropping down into the collet properly. It could be adjusted too tight or the plunger isn't dropping down quick enough. But then it doesn't do it with other brand shells. Something isn't right. They should all resize just fine.

I was thinking maybe whatever the alloy is they’re using now in those metal base part was softer , but then that wouldn’t make any difference after being sized in the 600 . Anyway I’ll try your suggestions and see what happens ! Thanks :)

I don’t know about the other Mecs but my 16G 600 Jr with the short kit does a poor job of sizing Cheddite hulls. The ring can produce enough friction the rim gets bent. Have the same issue with Cheddite 10 G and a Mec short kit conversion .

No doubt the Mec 600 does fine with American Hulls. Cheddites rims are a bit smaller in diamater new before sizer comes into play. Rim is thinner too. They bend easily when eject /prime force is concentrated on the rim. Not every time mostly when the rim or hull is dirty increasing friction. You can get a rim bend or a dished head from seating the primer hull supported by the rim.

I size decap and prime my short 16 empty’s ( 10 G too) on a PW 375 press, the PW sizer is a FL die like used on a Pistol or Rifle case. Eject is pushed by a custom made rod from inside the Hull that’s releved to clear the fresh primer. Rim never comes into play

Size deprime prime then eject with the custom Delrin ejector rod. Last PW station - eject, pushes on the rod knocking the case out.

Then move the deprimed sized primed empty over to the Mec & finish the job. No worrying about a bad shell in my bag that’s going to need a cleaning rod to eject from the gun.

William